I attended a funeral service for my patient. The outside really didn't look like much but was really impressed when I went into the ceremony area. Beautiful. Clean. Nicely decorated. A place of serenity. The meeting hall or food hall across the Temple was also spacious and clean. I greatly enjoyed my Patients service at this location. *bathrooms are nicely maintained :) read more

Orange County Buddhist Church - Nice place to hold service - Churches Near Me - Anaheim, California

I can't say enough good things about the Orange County Buddhist Temple. I came here looking for peace and found something even more meaningful -- a real community. Everyone here is welcoming, down-to-earth, and genuinely cares about helping one another grow. What makes this temple special is that it's not just about rituals or lectures -- it's about people. The temple creates a space where anyone, especially younger generations, can slow down, reconnect, and find balance in a busy world. Whether you're curious about Buddhism, exploring mindfulness, or just need a place that feels like home, this is it. The gatherings are warm and inclusive, the teachings are practical, and the energy is uplifting. I've met friends here who inspire me to live with more compassion, gratitude, and authenticity every day. If you've been looking for community, meaning, or simply a place where you can be yourself and feel supported -- come here. You'll walk away lighter, calmer, and more connected than you ever expected. read more

Located off Dale in Anaheim. I've been to this church many times for events from Basketball tournaments to Obon festivals. Mainly for Obon festivals in the summer post Covid the Obon was one of the biggest events in So Cal the food, games, and Obon dancing were the highlights of the Obon and when it was ending they had a big cruise going on as many fixes up cars from imports to domestics were driving up and down the street and crowds gathering to watch that was the right way to show your cars not like how it is today with the so called takeovers. At these events all the drivers were mindful and respecting the law although it was shut down after an accident happened so as the Obon still is happening but the cruise not. Overall this is a very nice clean church. read more

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I came to the Orange County Buddhist church for their annual Obon Festival. The Obon Festival is an annual Japanese Buddhist celebration to honor the spirits of their ancestors. The biggest light bulb moment occurred when someone told me it took place during the 7th month of the year. I am Buddhist too but since I celebrate my religious holidays with lunar calendar dates, I didn't realize this was the equivalent to our Vu Lan celebration... except the Obon Festival is a lot more fun!! From an outsider's point of view, this event has drums, music, traditional group dancing, Japanese street foods and snacks and festival games. If any of that sounds appealing to you, I highly recommend coming by for their celebration when it comes around again. I heard parking is difficult but the Orange County Buddhist Church is so well organized, they managed a shuttle system where you can park at Magnolia High School nearby and take the shuttle over to the temple. The shuttle was very efficient and it was FREE :) When I got there the drums were beating and there was a traditional dance that correlated with the beats of the drum. There were many attendees dressed in beautiful Kimonos and cute little kids running around with the little fishes they won from the little games. As I walked deeper and deeper into the crowd I began to smell grilled squid so I follow the scent to get in line for the Ika Teriyaki ($6.50). It was a pretty big portion, really flavorful, but a bit cooled down for my liking. I enjoyed it as I got in line for some Dango ($3.50/5 pieces). These Dangos were fried balls of pastries, almost donut-like. They were freshly made and warm with powder sugar and cinnamon available for you to add to your preference. I enjoyed the Dango as I got in line for Shaved Ice ($3.50). You can get up to 4 flavors of shaved ice but I only got the Strawberry and Matcha with Condense Milk ($1). It was the perfect little treat for a hot summers day. I especially love how potent the taste of matcha was and the condense milks makes it perfect. Funny story though... As I was walking around with my shaved ice the cutest little boy was like, "excuse me!" I was so caught off guard I seriously thought he lost his parents or something. Then he said, "Would you like a free fish?" I said I didn't and I feel so bad cause he looked so sad... I should have just said yes to make him happy and then give the fish to some other kid... *sigh* This is seriously one cute kid though... Not in a creepy way, but more like... I wouldn't mind having a kid if I knew they would be so cute. I had a lot of fun and I am glad that I went. A special thank you to my Yelp friend Jen H. for the information about this Obon Festival. I love cultural events and celebrations so I would want to come back again next year if the timing is convenient for my schedule. My only regret is that I came a bit later in the night due to prior engagements so some of the food items were already out. Be sure to come early if you want all the yummy food. read more

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Orange County Japanese Buddhist Temple's Obon Festival in Anaheim is usually on the 3rd weekend in July. Obon is the time to honor ancestors whose spirits temporarily come back to earth to visit w/ beloved family members. It's kind of like Dia de los Muertos for Mexicans to respect their dead on November 1 which may date itself to pre-Columbian cultures before the dreaded Spanish conquest. Japanese Americans have lost much of the rituals & ritual objects relating to Obon from their own home regions in Japan, but the Bon Odori/dancing in a circle to honor the dead is still de rigueur. Enthusiastic, lively Taiko/Japanese drumming by a coordinated troupe is now part of the Japanese American celebration of Obon which is a fairly new innovation in the last 30 or so years. Also, some of the food such as Chirashi Sushi, Maki Sushi (all using cooked items), Beef or Chicken Teriyaki, Ko-ri/snow cones that are as fine as snow many times topped w/ sweet braised brown Azuki beans. Okinawa Dango or Anda-sa-gi/round donuts on a stick abound. They even have Geso/squid tentacles bbqing on the grill. Since we live in Socal, a place where many cultures & ethnicities come together, there will be Kim Chi, Cha-shu-. Tamales, Burgers, Hot Dogs sneaking in. That diversity is what makes living here so great. Maybe African American innovation of Southern BBQ will be the next wave to come crashing onto Obon. Phillip's BBQ in Leimert Park, where are you when we need you? There are also great baked goods of American & Japanese inspiration. The Obon Festival here is extremely well organized, and the operations work like a fine watch. The variety, quality, execution of food here is impressive. There is an energy that makes people volunteering here look happy, hospitable, & welcoming. One of the best Obon Festivals in Socal. It's only once a year, but well worth the wait. 4+ Yelp stars. PS This is a Buddhist TEMPLE, not a church which usually connotes Christian places of worship. But a rose is a rose...... read more

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The Obon Festival is the most entertaining, fun, family-friendly event I've ever attended. This year was another amazing weekend, due to the thousands of hours of work put in by the dedicated hard-working volunteers who are the most welcoming people you would ever meet. Thank you to all the volunteers! The food, games, bazaar, Taiko Drums and especially the Obon Odori Dance combine for an incredible cultural experience. While I am not a member, it is evident that there are a great many social, cultural and youth programs available here year round. read more

I was introduced to OCBC some 7-8 years ago as my oldest daughter started attending Girl Scouts with some of her BFF's. My son started Cub Scouts (now a BS) the following year. I was quickly involved and became a den leader and have been very involved as a Scoutmaster ever since. They also both participate in SEYO basketball and have played for OCBC teams for almost as long as scouts. They also have attended Japanese school here, as being Ha-pa I thought It was important that they learn as much about their Japanese heritage as possible. This is a great place for kids. While I'm not Buddhist, I probably am becoming so through osmosis. I spend a serious amount of time here throughout the course of the year. Scouts, B-ball, School, etc. Sometimes as many as 3-4-5 days in a week. I have met some really great people here and am glad that OCBC was pulled into my life. This once was a traditional Japanese church it is now a cross cultural, multi ethenic church that draws continuity from its members. The church holds 2 major events during the course of the year Hanamatsuri and Obon. And as a parent of active OCBC kids you and the kids volenteer for both helping man the food booths and games. Live martial arts demos, musical entertainment, traditional dancing, craft sales, FOOD, and friendship = OBON Hanamatsuri and Obon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanamatsuri Buddaha's b-day. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Festival A day to honor ones ancestors. Obon Pics. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/odY_fei74qw4deFKYdCXxg?select=xuhcEe-tO4M0cvv8CJHy1A#eoCRNZitar7isZMQWwxZnA http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/odY_fei74qw4deFKYdCXxg?select=xuhcEe-tO4M0cvv8CJHy1A#PQLizOckVpppkZXksYbbjA http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/odY_fei74qw4deFKYdCXxg?select=xuhcEe-tO4M0cvv8CJHy1A#3v5l6ig5ytgaGgqh5Y9A_Q http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/odY_fei74qw4deFKYdCXxg?select=xuhcEe-tO4M0cvv8CJHy1A#fd2YNjab1L9dSYMKqL5MOw http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/odY_fei74qw4deFKYdCXxg?select=xuhcEe-tO4M0cvv8CJHy1A#WgZigSZtwAuCKrBoqGJqTA Fun times are had by all and there is the food. At OBON I ate today: Teriaki Beef sammy, wonderfully grilled with lettuice Tomatoes and condiments of your choosing. Yum 2x Fresh white corn on the cobb with butter and hot Mexican spice mix. YUM Dango Dog..... A jumbo hot dog deep fried in dango batter . Awesome with Siriacha and mustard! Spam Dango..... Deep fried chunk of spam, deep fried again in dango batter.....this is the bomb with mustard! Spam Musabe .... A spam sushi popular in Hawaii..... delish! Ika, grilled squid...Smells foul tastes great Other Eats: Teri Chicken sammy... tender and tasty good. Chow Mein.... Huge baked goods booth. All homemade and donated goodies. Udon noodles ... hot and yummy Beef Teri Plate Chichi Dango balls... kind of like a old fashoned buttermilk doughnut. With cinimon and shugar. Shushi plates And more......................... Get here early or miss out. read more

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It's July and that means OBON season. Just got back from the OCBC OBON festival. Which got me thinking. OCBC Rocks! (Can a church rock? I guess if there is Christian rock...) Here's why: On religion: Talk about a western version of Jodo Shinshu that is broken down into bite size pieces. Rev. Harada and Rev. Miyagi are awesome. Rev Harada is the English speaking minister and a great person to learn from. He's very down to earth and embodies the true buddhist spirit. On community: Please. I only wish I could transplant the people behind the many programs that make this church as special to SF. From cultural activities like taiko, ikebana, japanese shcool etc. to organized sports, basketball, baseball, v-ball etc. to age oriented groups (pre-teen), teens, young adults, adults etc... they have it all. Not to mention a very active and engaged congregation. On diversity: Welcome to 2006. The once a predominantly Japanese American congregation has evolved with the times and today you'll find a beautiful integration of people that attend and support this church. What can I say... I practically grew up around this place. It's way more than religion it's community. No... not commune. Community. read more

Orange County Buddhist Church - The Hondo - Churches Near Me - Anaheim, California

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// Obon Festival Parking: came here at 530pm parked @ the magnolia high school and theres a shuttle that takes you to the the buddhist temple. The parking attendants were very organized. It wasnt hard to get parking. Shuttle doesn't take too long to arrive. When we got to the event, we noticed parking across the temple.. and some street parking too Festival: there were alot of people and different vendors (food, desert, drinks, plants) Food: there are seats inside the gym and thats where u buy the udon as well. (I posted a picture of the food pricing.) u go to a table, get the "ordering paper", fill it out, fall in line, pay, get utensils from a different table, eat.:) they accept credit card for $20 minimum purchase. @6ish pm, bought the last Imagawa Kawi. They were already sold out. I barely made it. The other food stalls were starting to sold out as well. so make sure you arrive before 6 on saturday. Probably earlier on sunday. Since one of the vendors mentioned that they used up some of their backup for sunday. :) we came in time to try out different food. @630pm: the start of performances and dancing Shuttle going home didnt take too long either. This is a well planned family friendly event. people were nice And youll see cute kids walking around in kimono. Tip: bring lawn chAirs if you dont feel like finding a spot at the gym (It gets busy in there) and if u want to sit to watch the performances. You may also bring your own water... although drinks here is just for $1. I think parking at the highschool is better since its bigger. read more

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Went to the obon which is always great! Plenty of parking and tons of fun! dango donuts (not pictured): just thick donut holes that taste great. The texture is really crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Shaved ice green tea and strawberry: delicious!!! I would prob just green tea next time bc strawberry is basic haha Oden: delicioussss but this year I didnt get konyakku which I think was included last yearrrr and I wish they gave me more broth. read more

Orange County Buddhist Church - Oden - Churches Near Me - Anaheim, California

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I've been to OCBC on three occasions - once for Obon, once for a conference, and once for a Sunday service, and all three were great experiences (if only SoCal weren't so hot though...) OBON OCBC's Obon/Japanese Buddhist festival is both crowded and fun. I love that a lot of people from the community and family members come out, and I'd say numbers are on the same scale as Mountain View Obon up in NorCal. Lines can be a bit long, but they have games, food, and obon dancing, which contribute to a fun summer weekend during Obon season. CONFERENCE Facilities are great - conference rooms in the gym area, social hall, temple, mini chapel, classrooms, senior room - it really made the Buddhist conference we had convenient for sixty people. Given there were other events going on so we were moving, but we always had another spot, and everyone was very nice in helping manage the facilities and welcoming us to the spot SERVICE Although the temple does not hold as many as a lot of the NorCal temples (Palo Alto, SF, San Jose), services have a warm and comforting feeling. I also appreciated the technology in OCBC's service - two large screens in the Hondo allow for reading Buddhist meditations, chanting, and assist in Dharma talks, keeping the Sangha (congregation) engaged and looking up - something I haven't seen before, but would love for my home temple of Palo Alto to try something like that if possible. Afterwards, I enjoyed how many families talked with me, being a visitor, and Rev. Harada's Dharma session-leading feels comfortable and enlightening as well. Although I haven't lived in the OC and regularly attended services at OCBC, I enjoyed my time there and would love to come down for more events read more

My friends and I went to the Hanamatsuri festival today; it's the Buddist festival celebrating Buddha's birthday. I got the beef udon $6 and diet coke $1. Udon is delicious. See photo. The festival is free. Cool it's 230pm and we are watching a Japanese tea ceremony called Hanamatsuri (Hana = flower; Matsuri = festival). They explained the tea ceremony and afterwards we were served cookies/sweets then tea each. See photos. This is so amazing! Now we went to see Chigiri-e; the art of tearing hand made papers and making works of art. See photos. This is so cool! read more

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Like Lena B., I'm also a kendo practitioner at OCBC (since 1995). I've also been helping make the imagawayaki(s) during the Hanamatsuri and Obon festivals every year - our kendo club operates the imagawayaki booth. Check out my kendo photos and Hanamatsuri / Obon festival photos here: http://flickr.com/photos/ocbpictures/collections/72157600011739134/ Great times, great memories and great food! read more

Went here for a bonsai exhibit. The temple is clean and spacious and a great place to hold an event such as this. I enjoyed looking at all the displays and going to the demo and sitting in on the class. I might have to get into this.. read more

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With the Obon Festival being right around the corner (July 19-20), now seemed as good a time as any to review OCBC. Especially since Obon and Hanamatsuri are the only times of the year when I go there. The Obon and Hanamatsuri festivals are awesome here. There are a bunch of booths with really great food, all of which is cooked on the premises by members of the church. I especially like the gyoza which is deep fried, the corn, and the spam musubi. They also have teriyaki chicken/beef plates, imagawa yaki, snow cones etc. You can look at http://www.bca-ocbc.org/Obon/2008Obon%20Festival_files/2008Obon%20Festival521.htm to check out the full menu. There's also booths where little kids can play games and win prizes and goldfish. And afterwards there's dancing, Japanese style! But OCBC isn't just known for their two festivals. Besides the temple, they also offer Japanese school, all kinds of classes (aikido, flower arranging, tea ceremony, etc), and they have a gym for basketball. If you have time this weekend, you really should go check it out. read more

Funny how I can give this place 5 stars now that I'm all grown up. Cuz when I was younger and forced into going to Japanese School here, this place would have gotten a big 2 Thumbs Down from me. I actually remember tears being shed every Saturday morning when my mom would force me into the car at 7:30 AM while all my friends got to stay home and watch cartoons. But now that no one's forcing me to go, OCBC is a much more enjoyable place to visit. I usually only go 2 times a year and that's for Hanamatsuri and Obon. Truth be told, I don't usually stay that long.....just long enough to get some yummy eats to take home. They have some great beef and BBQ chicken plates and also chow mein, spam musubis, fried gyozas (the BEST), sushi, udon, oden, and Okinawa dango. It's all really delicious and I usually drop at least $75 because the money's all going back to the church so it's all for a great cause. If you decide to stay at the festival, it's really fun, all kinds of game booths set up for kids and it's just nice to see a lot of the Japanese American community get together. read more

My family and I just visited the temple during the Obon festival weekend in July 2010. They sell all sorts of food including shaved ice ($1) in all sorts of flavor (lime, cherry, etc.) and azuki bean flavor for a couple dollars more. They have some knick knacks for sale as well as Buddhist books and such. I think everything is donated by members. The food is quite good here, I had calamari rings (oden), teriyaki chicken and beef burgers, chicken bowl, spam masubi (yum!). Everything was surprisingly cheap, just a few bucks. We ate inside the air-conditioned gym, while watching Japanese drumming, my little nephew really enjoyed himself. The Japanese children came around taking our trash. The whole ordeal was very well organized. We also bought some plants and vegetables. Plumeria cuts were so super cheap. We got a 3 foot plant for about $4. Compare this to the tiny cuts we got in Oahu at the ABC stores! White corn was donated by the Tanaka Farms and sold at 4 for $1. I could see they had olive trees, cucumber plants, so many for sale at crazy low prices. The last fest we attended was a greek one-the food at Obon is way cheaper. Inside the Buddhist Church itself was very clean and peaceful. We didn't stay for the martial competition or kimono dancing, but it looks like it would have been great. We are looking forward to going again next year - Obon is held once a year. one of the farmers let us know there is another festival in April, so we will wait til then. Parking was across the street at the school and there were plenty of parking attendants to help out. I was very impressed at how well organized and clean everything was! read more

Obon Festival was awesome! They ran out of food though at the end of Sunday :( read more

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Hanamatsuri Bazaar in April I schedule my time around the Hanamatsuri Bazaar and Obon Festival. Any chance I can get Teri-burgers and great food I'm there. Everyone is overly nice, and it's just a great time to walk around, eat, play games and shop a bit. You don't need to know anyone at the church to come and enjoy things. They also have good family farmed produce and plants. read more

i gotta give it up for my beloved ocbc as well. (good call stephanie i!) i too was practically raised here and while some may argue to the contrary, i think i came out pirty damn good. hahaha. in all seriousness tho, buddhism is not so much a religion as it is a way of life and that's what ocbc is all about. even if buddhism is not your thing..it's all good. ocbc still has much to offer, namely, food! you should definitely try stopping by at either the annual hanamatsuri festival (april) and/or obon festival (july) for a mean spread of tasty eats: udon, sushi, chow mein, beef teri plates, okinawa dangos, fresh corn, shaved ice..and the list goes on and on. my personal favorite is the teri burger..perfectly grilled teri beef, served on a soft bun with your choice of fixings. oh yes. read more

I've been to almost every Japanese festival around SoCal - Otaku alert XD. The Obon Festival and Hanamatsuri Festival are both held at this Buddhist temple every year. You won't see the usual modern fair style here with lots of commercial sponsors. What you do get is a down to Earth, wholesome community gathering. The area / gym can seem a bit drab and outdated but they have the most Japanese food I've seen at a festival. There are a few improvements they can make but in comparison, I really did enjoy these festivals. The basketball quarter gambling game is addicting and a fun way to make a few bucks and / or donate ^^. Food prices are good too. The dancing and festivities are communal so joining in is a must! read more

Started going a few months ago. Love this place , people are nice and I feel at home here.Sunday service is well done and the dharma talk afterward is enlightening. Meditation class on Wednesday is great. They are a numerous groups to get involved in. Looking forward to the Obon festival. read more

We participated enthusiastically in Obon every year since I moved to Japan in 2002. The kids love it, I love it, and my Japanese husband loves that we all love it :) ! So I was so happy this year to be able to take part in this wonderful event at OCBC. We ate the usual food, danced the usual dances, and I loved so much that, just like back home, there were seasoned pros and complete newcomers, and everyone in between, and all were welcomed no matter their race, background, experience. Thank you OCBC! Looking forward to o-shogatsu now. You are our home from home. To anyone thinking about next years Obon - leave your inhibitions at the door and get in there! See you next year! I`ll be the blonde in the pink yukata turning left when everyone else turns right and loving every minute of it! :) read more

I love this place! I started going out to the Hanamatsuri and Obon Festival. My daughter attends Dharma school here on Sundays and earned her Padma Award here as well. I'm not Japanese, but I have always had an interest in Buddhism and Japanese culture. I have attended a few family services myself. Services are interesting and so inspiring. Aside from the festivals and delicious food, the people here are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. If you have an interest in Buddhism, this is the place to go. You will learn a lot and feel at home. read more

This church is beautiful! We came here with my group of friends for the Obon festival on 7/2009. There were vendors selling food, trinkets, clothing, books, etc You name it! There's a cafeteria area (good luck trying to find a seat on Obon festival day) Then later in the night, you can bring your kimonos and join in on the dance! it's so fun. They hand out juices and drinks in btwn some of the songs. They let you borrow their clickers, etc. They guide you step by step how to dance and people of different age groups would join in. I LOVEEEE COMMUNITY EVENTS! We went into this changing building to change and you can leave you stuff, I was scared of things being lost but surprisingly, it was safe. No one attempted to steal my friend's kimonos. She had so many sets of the whole shebang...all the way down to the hard flipflops. So much fun, we took pictures, such a memorable event. I wish there more of these opportunities in the community. read more

At the ICBC Obon Festival with friends! Good prices, dancers in kimonos, taiko performers and plenty of Japanese food! 5 stars!!

The OBON festival is great! I've been there a few times. It's a good place to get good food and just spend time with friends and family.

I love coming here for Obon. The food at the festival is good and the prices are cheap compared to how they gouge you at the LA County Fair. They also offer fresh local produce and plants to buy. The festival is also a nice cultural experience to enjoy. read more

Went for the Obon festival. Parking located across the street. Excellent food choices but very small. There were a few booth for kids and one craft booth. Surprised there were not more booths for shopping. Bake sale booth had delicious treats to choose from. Church opened up for tables for eating and restrooms. read more

i am a good christian (well more like good and christian), so i hesitated on reviewing a buddhist church. but god tells me to love everyone, so i am going to spread the love. actually, i don't know anything about this church, but i took 3 years of KENDO class on every tuesday and thursday night. i will tell you this, it's one of the most difficult sports to master. it's a japanese martial art that requires not only physical coordination, but also mind control. the class is taught by japanese masters (most are young, but they've been doing this for a long time, and very dedicated - i believe they teach for free). i got yelled, beaten and bruised many times by them, and boy i wanted to beat the crap out of them at times. but kendo teaches you to be respectful of masters and non-violent. after each class, i dare went near my classmates...we sweated (correct spelling???) so much in our heavy armor and just smelled awful!!! i stopped doing kendo for 2 years now for some personal reasons (distance, back problem), and gained some weight since then. the class is super cheap. less than $25/month (facility rental fee), 2x a week, 2-3 hour each class...trust me, it's more than enough. o you don't have to be a buddhist or japanese to learn. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendo read more

Although i am Japanese i wasnt really raised around the culture and didnt know the language and well i went to the classes and it was amazing i felt so much closer to my culture other than going to the japanese markets this is another way for me to connect with m y culture i even conviced my parents to allow me to go to obon have made many friends read more